Acts Chapter 8:26-40

Guys, I got a Greg Laurie. He is not necessarily that you're supposed to be that person just wanted me faithfully just want to tell other people about him. A lot of times when I say this you you work up this just horrible scenario with part of this is your trying to kick adornment. I'm not asking kick the door down.

I'm just asking to walk through doors and if you yourself in a fruit tray trying the pullout walk-through. I neared jerking a near squeeze and in your quest and apples not coming off. It's not to pick the Apple some right way a long time.

We think was just so hard to pick apples know it's not when their life is really easy. It's not difficult.

We build this thing up, or the other thing is what is known enough about here really really wall somebody through what you know they need to do in the just a few short scriptures you can welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee. David is a senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina, why should you share your faith in Jesus with others.

There's one simple reason. You should tell others about Jesus because he told us to today pastor David explains why we should get excited about evangelism as he continues teaching the book of acts chapter 8.

Now here's David McGee with part two of the teaching arise and go with me that acts chapter 8 let's pick it up with verse 26 acts chapter 8 verse 26 is now an angel the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, arise, and go towards a cell along the road, which is that which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza for 27 so he arose and went, and behold, a man of Ethiopia, eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all or treasury and had come to Jerusalem to worship, he was returning and sitting in his chair. He was reading Isaiah the prophet than the spirits of the Philip, go near and overtake the spirit.

Verse 30 so Philip ran to him and heard him leaving the prophet Isaiah said, you understand what you are reading, and he said okay. Unless someone guides me in the Asheville to come up and sit with in the neat how God works. God told Philip to leave the desert told him to leave Samaria to go to the desert. Rearrange the whole thing set the whole thing and he goes in the village doing when he looks over and he sees as God right now. While the book of Isaiah is like a priest. This is why I'm here understand. That's the way God works will go before you life lesson here is before you when you're following God goes before you when you are following. If you ever thought that you're supposed to kick the door down for God. I'm sorry wrong, you should look for open doors too many times we act like God's mercenaries or something really kick the door down. What is I don't think that's the Lord God opens doors and and you know what if you asked God open doors for you. He will open doors and when he does open doors walk-through and is just that easy. Verse 32. The place in the Scripture which he read was this, he was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before it sure is silent, so he opened not his mouth and his humiliation is justice was taken away.

And who will declare his generation for his life is taken from the earth to the eunuch answered Philip and said I ask you whom does the prophet say this of himself or some other man. So again this passages in Isaiah. It's what's referred to as the suffering servant passage in this passage this point in Jesus DRAM was this whole book points to Jesus you know we talk on Thursday night were going to the Hebrew Scriptures. What people refer to as Old Testament we go to that in many Thursday nights people get saved that morning and they asked Jesus to forgive the mother says that probably probably freak something you enjoy Old Testament hundreds of my get saved. Also, Jesus is in the book is in the whole book I could take you through here and in the beginning you look at Adam, and even they fell in God took animals and he slew him. He sacrificed them and made them coats of skins shedding the blood covering percent picture of Jesus, you go to the next chapter.

Abel and Cain and Abel was a keeper of sheep, and he made an offering to the Lord, that the Lord received. He offered him a lamb picture of the Lamb of God, which was Jesus going to Genesis chapter 22. Abraham and Isaac is the Isaac placing the wood for sacrifice almost back going up the hill just the way Jesus did.

Many years later. Place the wood on his back for sacrifice, and he went up the hill. In fact, I can show you Scriptures the same. He's in the book the life lesson here. The Bible points us and everyone else did Jesus. The Bible points and everyone else to Jesus and you can just go on amine from Genesis to Revelation.

You look at the feast you look at the feast of Yom Kippur, the day of time it just speaks of Jesus, you look at the Passover speaks of Jesus throughout this book. This book is all about God created us. God loves us turn our back on him and fell away. God won't rest until he wonders back. That's the whole thing summed up whole book points to Jesus, so this offering servant passage since what Jesus did mean we think of them as a teacher we think of him as a healer would think of him as Savior we think of him as Lord. We think of him is resurrected when we think of him as creator is always thinking, and that's good. We think of him. Those ways but he was also a servant servant who got down on his knees to wash the feet of the disciples pastor why are you mentioning that well because the book of acts refers to him several times as a servant give you this for other places.

Acts 313 says the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and not in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let them go.

Acts 326 says to you first God, having raised up his servant Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from your iniquity. Acts 427 were truly against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed by parent Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together, acts 430 acceptable research, stretching out her hand to heal and that signs and wonders may be done in the name of your holy servant Jesus, what's my point of you been there for very long 23rd before and if you sit here this morning. You tell me that your follower Jesus. But you're not servant who or what or if all Jesus was a servant himself. Look, if anybody ever walked this earth who deserved to be worshiped and praised should of had to serve it with him when he did he gave us a model. Even in the fact that he was baptized by somebody who their very salvation was dependent upon him. That's how much humility the verse 35 then Philip opened his mouth and beginning at the Scripture preached Jesus to start on Mondays, the suffering servant. How he came to give his life away. He came to die for us and and again throughout the book. I'm sure that Philip went through some of the book through some of the part about they probably wanted Philip share Jesus with this unit. Let me make a more personal don't answer out loud which takes a few seconds. If you have asked Jesus to forgive your sins are following Jesus. Why should you share your faith with somebody else to give a couple seconds of think of your name I think will no-brainer CVC people get site.

Sorry, sounds good. Sounds noble. Good answer. I mean it's noble that you would care for people like that. Let me explain a lot of us start out interface and we understand resource to share our faith and we think it's to see people get same. What happened sure phase 1 person they don't get saved we don't bother us in our fight with somebody else and they don't get saved will go up through not working. I must not be gifted, as amended, we share with somebody else or like I can't do this work done wrong with me because your motivation was to see people get same people again say when you share with such strong motivation. Why do we share our faith because Jesus told us to. Jesus told us to share our faith. What's the difference out the huge difference is understand the moment you open your mouth to tell somebody your successful in God's it's something God whether that person comes to a saving knowledge of him or not, it's up to him our job, our role is to present in the moment you say word one you're doing awesome job you doing great God looks at the Chair in America.

People hear the gospel about seven times before they come to the Lord, you don't over number one and #your job is just to tell necessarily try to kick the door down. Tell about the goodness of the Lord.

Life lesson we tell other people about Jesus because Jesus told us to tell other people about Jesus because Jesus told us to God.

I got a Greg Laurie is not necessarily that you're supposed to be that person just wanted to be faithful. He just wanted tell other people about him. A lot of times when I say this you you work up this just horrible scenario and part of this is your trying to kick the door down.

I'm not asking kick the door down.

I'm just asking Walter doors are open.

If you find yourself at a fruit tray trying to pull that walk-through. Near jerking a near squeeze and in your twist and an apples not coming off. It's not the time to pick the Apple some right way and and so a lot of times we think will just so hard to pick apples know it's not when they're ripe. It's really easy. It's not difficult. We build this thing up under my door. The other thing is I just don't know enough about I can't really I can't really walk through somebody through what you know they need to do need to say, with just a few short scriptures you can if you're taking notes or even if you take and not thinking that you may want to jot these them call the Roman road share with you. Just a few verses and you hear me quote a lot. Romans 310, 323 585 12 and will leave these up for a minute. 623 Romans 10 910 and 13. Now you hear me quote these in your lot. Romans 310, 323 there's there's none righteous, no not one for all shall fall short of the glory of God, as by one man sin entered into the world that a sentence of death passed upon all men, and so integrate the member is in Romans 10 out of 10 talks about if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus was raised from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Romans 1013, whosoever calls on the name of the Lord. And again, you don't have to memorize these you can just write them in your Bible and if God opens a door say hey can I share some scriptures really suffice to say it's viral goodness we get to heaven site will do. You know that's not in the Bible you know that's not biblical. And God will open doors for you. Romans 1017, so then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God you're listening to Pastor David McGee on cross the bridge will be right back with more just a moment, but I want to remind you of the free resources available to you on cross the bridge.com is a team of hundreds of people that will pray for somebody to be saved. You have a loved one that needs to know Jesus as Savior. You need people to pray for them. You need someone to present God's word to him every day representing God's virtual here on cross the bridge with Pastor David McGee. We can pray for them as well. Just by simple going to cross the bridge.com and click on the pray for the lost button. All you need to do is put in the first names of the people you love that needs know Jesus as Savior.

Click on submit and immediately hundreds of people begin praying for your lost loved ones. What an awesome way to bring love once to Jesus, here's a word from associate pastor DA Brown. We want to take just a minute to pray for some cities in our listening audience specifically read support Roseburg Seaside Selma Sprague River in the Dallas and Oregon and also Hammett in Pennsylvania. Father, we thank you for the cities.

We thank you for the people living in them. We pray that your Holy Spirit would pour out and draw many people until personal, intimate relationship with Jesus.

Father we pray that many people would be healed, who perhaps have had bad experiences in the past God that they would receive forgiveness and forgive those in their lives who have offended when we pray that you draw people in the Bible teaching church is that you get the pastor's wisdom and discernment father to love the flock to serve them well over pray for all the city leaders that we would honor the respect that you give them wisdom and discernment, father, or that it might go peaceable with us will we love you we pray that you would bless the people living in the cities.

In Jesus name, amen, amen. Thank you brother and now get back to David McGee as he continues teaching verse by verse 36 now as I went down the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, say, here is water.

What hinders me from being baptized to see the enthusiasm of the people in this chapter we don't even like a mud puddle loudly was the pursuit was emergent but watercraft tacitly troubles me. Sometimes people say what I'm following Jesus I've asked Jesus to forgive him as will be baptized.

Why you believe what he says about life, death, eternity, heaven, hell, sin, sinlessness, forgiveness, which are going to stop when he says going to the water seems lower to me friend go for life lesson here every follower of Jesus should be baptized every follower of Jesus should be baptized and there's a beautiful picture you know what it is is your death and burial into the water. Watery grave is been referred to in your resurrection up the great in your identifying with the death and the barrel of Jesus Christ and with the resurrection of Jesus Christ or Diane to the old life and being resurrected to the new life is that mean you'll never make a mistake again. Hopefully now it doesn't mean that it means that your identifying with Jesus you will still mess up occasionally still need to run to him for seven for forgiveness.

Verse 37 and Philip said, if you believe with all your heart, you may answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God.

Notice Philip's answer. If you believe in your heart. Didn't say what your mom and dad want you to be and say that he said if you believe so, pretty much like the way that infant baptism coming to pick on you again. I was baptizes an infinite just looking at the problem in love doesn't count mean you just don't see in the Bible it says here you can be baptized if you believe in your heart so you believe in your heart you should be baptized. If you were sprinkled and you had yet to believe in your heart friend you were baptized so we encourage you to do that and I know that there's a lot of missed teaching take time with some of this with verse 38 so he commanded the chariot to stand still, both Philip and the eunuch went down in the water. He baptized them when they came up out of the water. The spirit of the Lord called Philip away, so that the unit saw him no more.

And he went on his way rejoicing. I don't know this was a supernatural thing where Philip is. What proof you know I'm a good guy can do that.

I guess God can do a lot of things. Maybe it was just Philip left and then he didn't hang out with the gun anymore and and follow-up with the unit, God was.

Now this is not to say that we don't have a responsibility and follow-up it just means that the ultimate responsibility is the Lord's genome started the good work in your life you brought you to this place today were all here because God speak to us.

It was the seminar life and the cool thing is, according to Philippians 16 is being confidence very thing, that he who has been gone a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

He's gonna started and he's going to finish there's some decisions that you may will make you stronger in your faith is not to release you of any and all accountability, but it means that the Lord is the one working inside of you. June 24 is this and now all glory to God was able to keep you from stumbling and it will bring you into his glorious presence innocent of sin with great joy.

He said they're going to keep you from stumbling.

After I stumble to do things I shouldn't. Sometimes I don't do things I should be in transparent Paul said same thing happened with so how can this verse say that he can keep us from stumbling.

God is able to keep us from stumbling friend, which is the stumbles. That's the sad fact and then when we do the Lord convicts us or convinces us of her send so that we come back to him. There's one other word here. One, it says the Lord called Philip away is an interesting word in the Greek harp also you may not be familiar with that word.

The Latin word for her part, so churros you still may be gone get that that's the word rapture that we've people say rapture is not the Bible. What was a lot of things the Bible but churros from our derivation of that land is an now the rapture is that point in time when Jesus calls a church home to himself.

Let me explain. And there's three faults on the rapture. There's the pre-tribulation rapture of the rat.

The tribulation is a seven year. That lots of stuff goes wrong, it talks about the book of Revelation. You really don't now I believe an ugly Scripture teaches a pre-tribulation rapture that is before the trip before the translation starts God, the church, how, and he comes back with the church at the end of the tribulation. Some people believe in the mid-tribulation that in the middle of the tribulation. That's when the rapture happened and then some people believe a poster relation after the tribulation is when the rapture happens.

If you believe in a mid-trip in a post-trip. You're welcome to fellowship here and I'll just explain it to you on the way out.

The Bible clearly teaches a preacher relation rep. But the point is, at some point. This could happen everybody in this room is only Jesus, are you ready everybody in you meet him for the first time after you pass away, so I got a good meeting meeting here for the first is going to be a rejoicing and you get to decide. I've never seen landscape look like it looked to be. There are things going on that I will get too deep within close in just a moment, but what we see developing to me is incredibly exciting.

I don't see him. Another development that needs to happen before that event called the rapture of the church.

That's exciting to me is why is are you ready for that many single yes I'm asked Jesus to forgive me my sins great. Are you serving because of not you have to explain that to him. Forget Mimi in on your case, or me making you uncomfortable. You stand for your creator who died for yourself. Explain why you didn't have time to serve him or those he died for. I want that for you to follow verse or Philip was founded as Otis passing through. He preached in all the cities till he came to Syria and we have the best news that the world is ever heard in the best offer.

This ever been extended to them and we can join together as a team to tell him about this good news in this offer. Some of them may be your family members. Some of them may be your friends, your coworkers can you really sit there this morning say I'm all right. They come they come they don't they don't is at the heart of Jesus who died for us and think it is Sears. It's not meant to be a secret. Isaiah 53 six. That same suffering servant passage to this. All of us have strayed away like she we have left God's path to follow her own. Yet the Lord laid on him the guilt sins of assault, Jesus says all of the substrate.

Everyone knows we've all left God's path do our own thing the Lord laid on Jesus our sins and our guilt. You're not equipped to carry her guilt. You are not built to carry her guilt psychologist and psychiatrist. They all recognize it that you can't carry her guilt that there is a guilt in your life and you can't be so bad that you forget about it.

You can't do enough drugs you can drink enough for you.

Forget about and you can't be so good as the wipe it away. No amount of good actions or good behavior, good deed like that away. You yourself and not do anything about that you got set up like that and the moment you realize that hope can walk into your life in the form of Jesus Christ because you can realize a you know what I can't do anything.

Praise God something to spend.

And that was Jesus down on the cross for you that you can be forgiven again, I don't know when this rapture occurs or when you go to be with the Lord.

When you die. I don't know. I do know that at some point it happens every one of hundred percent of the people in here right now will stand before the Lord only decision that you have to make is what will be said on that day part for me. I never knew you. Well done, thou good and faithful servant friend. You know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now own Legion.

A short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him.

Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I could have a new life not done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry.

Please forgive me of all those things.

Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name, amen friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible. You've been forgiven you've been born again, so congratulations for you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you prayed that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you visit, cross the bridge.com and click on God's plan for new life to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. God wants to bless you and encourage your relationships today. Whether you are married, considering marriage or engaged to be married. We have a resource for you pastor David wants to send you his four part video series allies stay friends.

Allow God to minister to your marriage through his word today. This was an unforgettable weekend that encouraged many marriages and you and your spouse can be encouraged to allies stay friends is our thanks for your generous gift today to help more people hear God's truth on this station and beyond, so they can cross the bridge from death to life. Please visit cross the bridge.com today to give a gift of any amount and get your copy of allies stay friends ODA before we go.

What are some ways that we can bless our listeners days you can wake up with encouragement from Pastor Dave to the word of God with his email devotional life lessons to consider daily reading plan and thought to meditate on throughout your day. The heart, but David McGee those are terrific and it's easy and it's free so folks sign up today@crossthebridge.com. Thanks again for listening and join us next time. As David continues teaching verse by verse through the book of acts